While the modular, sleek SpectreOne desktop machine may have shades of an Apple iMac about it, the screen’s design — with that solid dark bezel — is more reminiscent of a laptop than a desktop computer.

In fact, this melding of the two lines continues elsewhere too, as HP won’t be including a mouse inside the SpectreOne’s box — as it has decided to provide a wireless touchpad instead.

The addition of the touchpad neatly sidesteps any need for the SpectreOne to have a touchscreen, and is, if anything, a sensible solution to the problem of jabbing at a vertical display to enjoy Windows 8‘s touch-friendly abilities.

SpectreOne specs

The screen measures 23.6-inches and has a thickness of just 11.5mm — that’s 2mm thicker than an Apple iPad 3 — and a 1080p, 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. It’s mounted on a tilting stand, which incorporates everything from four USB ports, an HDMI-out, a memory card reader and an Ethernet port too.

The mouse isn’t the only thing to disappear from the SpectreOne either, as there’s no optical drive either.

HP has included NFC though, and it can be used to log in to Windows 8 quickly using a compatible phone — which doesn’t have to run Windows Phone 8 — as well as stream music and video.

Intel’s Ivy Bridge processors will be the brains behind the SpectreOne, although exactly which chips have yet to be confirmed. Other features include Beats Audio and a Nvidia GeForce graphics card.

The SpectreOne will go on sale in the USA in November, and it’ll start at $1299.

Envy and Pavilion Windows 8 All-in-Ones.

In addition to the SpectreOne, HP has also announced the touchscreen Envy 20 and 23, which unsurprisingly boast 20-inch and 23-inch screens respectively, each with a 1080p resolution.

They’re more conventional than the SpectreOne, as they both use a regular mouse and PC-style keyboard, and on the side of the monitor, you’ll find an optical drive too. Like the SpectreOne, Intel’s Ivy Bridge chips will be running the show.

Finally, for those on a budget, we have the Pavilion 20 All-in-One, which as we’re sure you’ve guessed, has a 20-inch screen. It’s not so budget that HP forgot to include a touchscreen though, and there’s the choice of an Intel of AMD processor too.

The Pavilion 20 starts at a wallet-friendly $499, and will be up for pre-order on October 26, while the Envy 20 and Envy 23 will start at either $849 or $1099, with pre-orders starting on the same date.